April 5, 2022

UK at risk of African swine fever outbreak if it waives border checks on EU goods

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) said the UK will be at risk of an African swine fever outbreak if the UK government waives border checks on goods including livestock and food imported from the EU, The Guardian reported.

The UK government is planning to postpone post-Brexit inspections at borders because of concerns that the checks will slow down the supply chain, add to bureaucracy, and result in rising prices in shops.

The new border checks, which include veterinary certificate requirements, were planned to be imposed from July 1, 2022.

As evidence of Brexit harming trade continues to intensify, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for "Brexit opportunities" and other government senior figures said less control is required over imports to speed up goods flow and lower costs.

James Russell, BVA senior vice president, said he will be alerting MPs on the international trade select committee about the dangers of relaxing animal safety standards.

Russell said relaxing border checks will endanger animal health, put the UK's biosecurity at risk, and compromise the country's high animal and food safety standards.

He said dropping border controls could result in a higher risk of African swine fever, which has devastated the agricultural industry and animal health of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

-      The Guardian